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Newsletter Aug 2004
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Thursday, Feb 18, 2010
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From Narain V. Hingorani, AIS President
Lots of water has run under the bridge since our last NewsLetter in April 2004. There has been sudden and unanticipated shift in the political climate in India. After the murky and muddy mire of party politics, the dust of doubtful and double dealings seems to be finally settling down but the atmosphere is still hazy and the long distance vision is far from clear.
We have some vague idea as to who are occupying which chairs at Seat of Government (though there are insufficient available chairs); but we cannot state with certainty how and by whom the occupants are controlled. Of course puppetry is so popular, being the prime pastime of pastoral India.
AIS being non-political a non-religious organization will make no further comments on the setup of the new government in India but will always focus its attention on its actions and policies with regard to the cultural and spiritual heritage of Sindhu and Saraswati, which is the cradle of World Civilizations.
Guest Book Comments
AIS website has now a new look for our Guest Book. Judging from the very positive comments, the readers have well received the changes.
Recent comments on our mission and related activities in general, have also been very supportive and encouraging. We thankfully acknowledge and appreciate the compliments. There have been many constructive suggestions and AIS will gradually and selectively try to implement them within our sparse available resources.
We have introduced a new feature of "AIS Replies" to the Guest Book comments. The opinions expressed by you all are valuable for our organization. They receive our prompt attention and will be carefully reviewed for implementation.
Book Distribution
As promised in our last NewsLetter, AIS completed the program of sending E-mail letters to more than 2000 academic libraries covering all the 50 states of USA before end of May 2004 as planned. We also mailed similar letter recommending purchase of Return of the Aryans to major academic libraries of all 12 provinces of Canada.
Book Distribution is a very significant program of our mission to advance awareness of Indus-Saraswati Cultures. However, due to lack of feed back, it is not possible to assess the number of libraries that carry ROTA on their shelves nor how many patrons have actually read the book.
With full faith in Selfless Action without getting tangled in the web of results, we will renew our efforts to Email letters to public libraries as you all have urged. First we plan to address letters to all the State Libraries that have administrative jurisdiction over the public libraries in their state to recommend and finance the purchase of books. Once this program is initiated we will be in a position to estimate our pace of progress.
Our well wishers, website visitors and lovers of our mission can play a major supporting role in this matter by personally contacting academic and other libraries in their communities and let us have the librarian’s name and address. AIS would then address a personal letter recommending the purchase of the book. This procedure may have better chance of success.
NRI Award for AIS
AIS is encouraged by recent complimentary comments in the Guest Book. We specially appreciate the efforts made by some visitors writing to the organizers of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (NRI Day) to recognize and reward the mission and programs of AIS for educating public about Indus civilization.
Is not surprising, though, that none of these letters were even acknowledged. Last year AIS wrote scores of personal letters to various ministers and other high officials in the Indian Government. There was only one acknowledgement response – that from Rashtrapati Abdul Kalaam, the President of India.
AIS have never solicited any special recognition or awards. This idea was initiated and executed by the supporters and visitors to our guest Book.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas – 2005
Government of India and FCCI have joined hands to celebrate the Third Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Mumbai on 9-11 January 2005. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Honorable Prime Minister of India will inaugurate the event.
In June 2004 a new Ministry of Non-Resident Affairs was created to oversee and implement policies for India’s engagement with its Diaspora. Mr. Jagdish Tytler has been appointed Minister for Non-Resident Indian Affairs with independent charge. For further details please visit www.indiaday.org .
It is not clear what the theme will be for this third NRI day affair. From initial indications it seems that the emphasis will be more on financial and commercial cooperation with Indian Corporations through out the world, with no special program for encouraging the advancement of Cultural Heritage of Bharat Varsha and Sindhu-Saraswati civilization among or through Indian Diaspora.
Indus Valley Exposition – Chicago
AS mentioned in January 2004 NewsLetter, AIS submitted to Robin Groesbeck, Manager Exhibition Coordinator The Field Museum all information about Indus exhibition held in Japan and other relevant material
In May 2004wereceived a response to our letter. Here below are some excerpts:
" ... ... We enjoyed looking through the catalog of the exhibitions that appeared in Tokyo and Nagoya, and admired the beautiful objects that traveled there. The human figures assembled for this exhibition are compelling and the collection of seals is quite wonderful.
... ... We recognize the value that your exhibition would have for public education about Indus Valley civilization. …Other priorities are demanding our resources now and for next few years, and we won’t be able to add this project to our schedule."
Reluctantly we have to put this projected program on the back burner due to lack of funds at present. We plan to write to Infinity foundation, Asia Society and other similar organizations soliciting their support for our efforts in future.
School Program
We continue to be mindful and constantly keep this important program in sight. We plan to write to all the 50 state branches of National Education Academy (Teachers Union) urging them to include study of Indus-Saraswati Civilization in school curriculum.
Our eventual object is to arrange presentations to schoolchildren with suitable artifacts, visual aids and printed handouts. We will encourage and help them to do their own research and write the project papers on the subject.
UNESCO Recognition
There has been some delay in our schedule for approaching Charge Affaires US Mission to UNESCO and submitting comprehensive information about our programs and activities for their consideration. With limited resources available at present, after putting our full efforts to the library program we will divert some attention to UNESCO for soliciting their cooperation and collaboration.
Random Reflections
Recently AIS have been discussing diverse concepts for expanding scope of our activities beyond present program of Book Distribution.
A. Guest Book comments urge us to send E-mails to various public libraries so those thousands of readers will have opportunity to read this epic Return of the Aryans. We believe that all our web visitors have read and grasped the essence of this book and would desire others to study it and derive the benefit of the knowledge so abundantly dispersed between the covers of this great book.
AIS requests our learned readers to send us their personal review of ROTA and how its study has enhanced their knowledge about the Indus Valley Civilization and origins of Sanatana Dharma which we believe is the gift of Bharat Varsha to world civilizations. We believe these personal reviews on our website will have far more impact than old published reviews; and will influence web visitors to obtain this book and read for themselves.
B. AIS also invites our scholarly readers and academicians to recommend to us other books related to our mission and aims and objects which they have themselves read along with the personal reviews giving detailed reasoning for the recommendation. AIS board will study and discuss all suggestions before approving for publication on the website.
C. AIS also invites papers and articles on Vedic Culture, Indus/Saraswati Civilizations, Indian Archaeology and the like so long these do not have any political or religious bias.
D. There are Indian students and youth organizations in many colleges and universities. We have obtained E-mail addresses of such organization in USA: 48, Canada: 8 and Australia: 3. AIS will send the special letters introducing our mission and activities and requesting them to urge their schools to purchase ROTA for their libraries.
Acknowledgements
I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank once again our Guest Book visitors for the continued support, best wishes and encouraging comments, which have helped to keep us on track against all odds.
I am grateful to our entire AIS team member for showing full faith and giving me opportunity to continue the activities of our cherished mission. My highest regard and love for Dial Gidwani for his boundless energy and enthusiasm, which renews my strength whenever I begin to stumble. My special thanks for Aeric Fernandes for his legal and accounting help in obtaining Non-Profit Organization Status and filing yearly tax returns for AIS. Last but not the least AIS acknowledges help and dedication of Michael Chase, our webmaster and Cheri Lasher without whom our Library program would have remained just a dream.
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